Collapsible oar and oarlock



May 8, 1934. w. G. MacDOUGALL COLLAPSIBLE OAR AND OARLOCK Filed March 23, 1935 Patented May 8, 1%54 UNITED STATES PA FFECE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to oarlocks and cars and more particularly to a means for slidingly securing an oarlock to an oar.

An object of this invention is to provide a combined collapsible oar and oarlock, a portion of the car partly enclosing a part of the oarlock and this portion of the oar providing means whereby the length of the oar may be split so that the oar may be placed in a relatively short space.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved oariock structure in combination with an oar wherein the oar lock properis attached to. the car in such a manner that the oar will slide relative to the oarlock and will also have substantially universal rocking movement relative to the oarlock.

A further object of this invention is to provide an oarlock structure in combination with an car whereby a portion of the oarlock may be removed from the side of the boat and this removed portion being secured to the car will not become lost.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a safety means for permitting the use of an oar relative to a boat so that in the event the ,hands are removed from the oar, the car will not become lost, thereby endangering the lives of the passengers of the boat.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this invention will in part be described and in part be understood from the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:-

Figure 1 is a detail side elevation partly broken away and partly in section of an oar and oarlocl:

constructed according to the embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary the device.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the views, the numeral 10 designates generally an oar proper which, in the present instance, is comprised of an inner handle portion 11 having a grip 13, an outer paddle portion 12 and an intermediate connecting means 14. This intermediate connecting means 14 is of tubular construction and the outer end of the inner or handle section 11 telescopes into the inner end of the intermediate connecting means 14 and is secured thereto as by a rivet or pin 15.

The outer end of the tubular intermediate member 14 is provided with an elongated slit or line bottom plan view of split portion 15 and ears 1'7 are secured to the tubular member 14 on opposite sides of the slit 16 adjacent the outer end of the slit. These ears 17 are normally spaced apart and the inner end of the paddle portion 12 telescopes into the outer end of the tubular member 14, and this paddle portion is secured against longitudinal movement by means of a bolt 18 which rotatably passes through one of the ears 17 and is threaded into the confronting ear.

' In order to prevent turning of the oar portion 12 relative to the tubular member 14, I have pro vided a block 19 within the tubular member 14 which has an opening 20 therein to receive a lug 21 formed with the inner end of the car portion 12. This lug 21 is formed after the manner of a segment and fits snugly into the opening 20 so that the outer oar portion 12 will be held against rotary or circumferential movement relative to the intermediate connecting member 14. The tubular member 14 is provided intermediate the ends thereof with an elongated opening 22, the marginal portion of which are reinforced by a rib 23.

A round bar or shaft 24 is positioned axially of the tubular member 14 having the inner end thereof disposed in an-inner plug 25 and the outer end thereof disposed in the outer plug 19. This shaft or bar 24 constitutes a guide means for a sliding oarlock member, generally designated as 26, which is loosely disposed about the periphery of the bar 24. The bar 24 may be held against longitudinal movement relative to the connecting member 14 in any desired manner, but it will be obvious that the inner end of the handle portion 11 may hold the bar 24 against movement inwardly while the outer or paddle portion 12 may hold the outer end of the bar 24 against outward movement.

The oarlock member 26 comprises a sleeve 2'7 disposed loosely about the bar 24 having a lug 28 integral therewith and extending outwardly of the tubular member 14 through the opening 22. A stem 29 provided with a bifurcated head 30 is rockably secured to the lug 28 as by a pin 31 so that the ear structure 10 may have substantially universal rocking movement relative to the side of the boat.

A sleeve or socket member 32 which is provided with a top plate 33 is adapted to be secured to the side wall of the boat or vessel, and the stem 29 is rotatably positioned within this sleeve or socket 32 and is adapted to have rotary movement therein.

In the use of the oar and oarlock herein (115- 110 closed, the handle portion 11 is preferably permanently attached to the tubular or intermediate member 14 by means of the pin or rivet 15 and preferably at least one end of the shaft 24 is secured against longitudinal movement within the tubular member 14 so that the sliding oarlock member 26 will not be lost. When the oar and oarlock is not in use, the outer oar portion 12 may be detached from the inner portion 11 by loosening the thumb nut or bolt 28 and drawing the outer portion 12 longitudinally of the connecting member 14. By providing a relatively long bar 24; and a relatively long slot 22 within the tubular member 14, the length of the handle portion 11 can be adjusted to suit the desires of the person using the oar and by reason of the width of the slot 22, the oar can be rolled, if desired, at either end of the stroke after the manner of an oar which is swivelly or rotatably positioned in an oarlock. Preferably, this intermediate connecting member 14 is made of metal of suitable composition and the inner member 11 and the outer member 12 can, if desired, be constructed of either wood or other material.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that an improved collapsible car and oarlock has been devised wherein the oarlock is slidingly and rockably attached in a substantially permanent mannor to the oar so that the oar when applied to the boat will not be readily lost and at the same time the oar can, when not in use, he confined in a relatively small space.

It is, of course, understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is 1. A combined oar and oarlock comprising an inner oar portion, an outer oar portion, means for detachably securing the two portions together, said securing means including a sleeve and a guide member between the two oar portions, said guide member being within the sleeve, and an oarlock slidably engaging said guide member.

2. In an oar structure including an inner and an outer oar member, means for detachably securing the two members together, said means including a tubular member telescoping the confronting ends of the two members, said tubular member having an elongated opening in the wall thereof, a guide member within the tubular member and disposed axially thereof, a slide on said guide member, a stem, means for swingably secur ing the stem to the slide, and a socket member loosely engaging about said stem, said tubular member having substantially universal movement relative to said socket.

3. In an oar structure including an inner and an outer oar member, a tubular securing means telescoping the front ends of the two members, means for fixedly securing one end of the tubular member to the telescoped end of one of the oar members, means carried by the opposite end of the tubular member for detachably securing the adjacent end of the other of the oar members within said tubular member, said tubular member having an elongated longitudinally extending opening through the wall thereof, a guide member within the tubular member, means for supporting the guide member axially of the tubular member, a sleeve loosely mounted on the guide member, a lug carried by the sleeve and extending outwardly of the tubular member through the opening, a stem, and means for rockably securing the stem to the lug.

4. A combined oar and oarlock comprising an inner and an outer oar member, tubular securing means telescoping the confronting ends of the oar members, means for fixedly securing one end of the tubular member to an end of one of the oar members, said tubular member having a 10ngitudinally split opposite end portion, means for contracting said opposite end portion to detachably secure the adjacent end of the other of the car members within said opposite end of the tubular member, coacting means carried by said other oar member and the tubular member to hold said other oar member against rotary movement relative to the tubular member, a slide disposed within the tubular member, said tubular member having an elongated longitudinally extending opening in a wall thereof, means for supporting the guide axially of the tubular member, a slide engaging about the guide, a depending lug carried by the slide and extending outwardly through the opening in the tubular member, a stem, a bifurcated head carried by the stem and engaging on opposite sides of the lug, and means for rockably securing the head to the lug.

5. A combined oar and oarlock comprising an inner and an outer oar member, a tubular securing means telescoping the confronting ends of the oar members, means engaging one end of the tubular member and the adjacent end of one of the oar members to fixedly secure said two members together, means for detachably securing the other of the oar members within the opposite end of the tubular member, said tubular member having an elongated longitudinally extending opening in the wall thereof, a transversely extending block member defining each end of the opening and positioned within the tubular member, a guide bar positioned axially of the tubular member and engaging the blocks, one of said blocks having a segmental opening therethrough, a lug carried by said other oar member and adapted to engage in said segmental opening to hold said other oar member against rotary movement within the tubular member, a sleeve loosely mounted on the guide member, a lug integral with the sleeve and ex tending outwardly through the opening, a stem, a bifurcated head integral with the stem and engaging on opposite sides of the lug, a pin extending through the head and the lug to rockabl-y mount the lug on the stem, and a rib carried by the tubular member on the interior thereof adjacent the longitudinal edges of said opening.

WILLIAM GRANT MACDOUGALL. 

